Automatic elevating or lowering apparatus



F. R. HOUSE.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATING 0R LOWERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 6, I919.

Patented Nov 23, 1.920.

2 SHEETSf'SHEET I INVENTOR F. R. HOUSE. AUTOMATIC ELEVATING 0R LOWERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 19'9- 1,359,,993. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR fkANK/U/ lfilowering heavy masses and other uses where is now considered the UNITED STATEY FRANK R. HOUSE,

[AUTOMATIC EQLEVVATING'MOR 'LowEarNe A PARATUS.

Application filed Mai-ens,

lilo all whom it mag concern; I y

Beit known that I, FRANK B. l-Iousn, a citizen of the United States' of America, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain" new. and useful Improvements in Automatic Elevating or Lowering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. 1 This invention relates to speed liiniting or braking devices for elevating apparatus such as davits for hoisting and lowering lifeboats, traveling cranes for raising; and

it is desirable to permit an object to ascend or descend rapidly until near the end of its.

journey where it is very to rest. A V The object of the invention is to construct an apparatus of this character which will permit the lowering or hoisting of an object such as a lifeboat fairly rapidly but; under absolute control and which ,will" automati cally slow down thelifeboat when it nears the water or upon any predeterminedevent so that the same is brought toirest gently andinthe correct position on the surface of the water. At the same time, the, boat is kept under the constant control of the operator. p p

Referring to the drawings in which what preferred form of my invention is shown Figurel is a diagrammaticfronteleva-' gradually brought tion of a ships davit showing my invention as-applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation partly in section on a-much larger scale of adrum for the davit constructed accordingto'my invention.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the interior of. the drum, one of the cover plates being removed. f

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the throttle valve betwen the two containers for the ,oil. -Fig. 5 is a section online 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '6 is a detail of a pawl shown in Fig. 2. hWhileiny invention is adapted for use in connection with many types of elevating devices I have illustrated it as applie'dto a ships .davit, a conventional. form of which n is. illustrated in Fig. 1. Two. lifeboats ,jl and 2, are here shown supported by the I davit which comprises two or more upright arms, 3 and 4:, on which are mountedsuit able pulleys and pulley blocks, 5and 6, for

. movement in one direction.

191 9. 'seri ai No. 3281,089.

NTf FFI B-I or BROOKLYN, NEw'YonK; ssreivort'ny ivinsnn ASSIGNMENTS, To ARGARET'TJADEB, or DARIEN, CONNECTICUT.

' Specifieation'qf Letters Patent. Patented NOV, 23,1920,

nipulating the. ropes 'tolaunch the boats;

said wheelis mounted on a shaft, 10,, which 1s also: provided with a pinion, 11, meshing shaft-,lOJ A pawl, 16, pivoted on the fixed thewvhe'elby' s ring- .16 and coiiperates bracket 17.is pressed into engagement with i therewith to lock the mechanism against .My. preferred location for the braking. I

means is within the drum, 14f. The (llllHIlS shown as provided w th ClOSB Cl C/OIHCM sides,

gear, 22,, which. is fixed 'to the stationary shaft, 23,supp orting the drum. The drum itself is journal'ed for rotation on said fixed 18 and 19. Theinterior' of-the drumis separated into two parts-by a largebroad shaft at 24 and'25. The-said gear,-'22,-is

provided with a central wall, 26,,Whic'h separates the'ctwo compartments within the dru k Meshing 'withfl the aforementioned large gear, 22, are one or more pinions, 5.5 (see I Fig. 3) each of which is rotatably mounted on a hollow cylinder or shaft, 56, securedsby means of a bolt, 5 7,'between the two' sections, 18 and 19, of the, d'rum'beyondthe gear, 22. Theinterior of the drum is provided with a plurality of channel-shapedpartitions, 71, which closely fit not only the top of the teeth,on gear, 22, at points, 70-, between the pinions but also the teeth, 55", of e'achpinion, 55, around the greater portion of the periphery of each gear as at. 65. Leading from the oil chamber, 58, tofeach pinion at a point adjacent where it meshes with the large gear, 22, and at one end thereof is a port, '59, (see Figafe, 3,"and5)'. "Said port leads into a channel-or passage-way, 60, in thesurrounding hood, 65, and extends along the gear teeth but terminatesat the far end of the pinion. f Opposite to said pas-f sage, 60, is a second passage-way, '61,,lead ing along the gear teeth and into a second port, 62, which is located not only on the opposite side but at the opposite end of the pinion from the port, 59. j Said port, 62,

v leads into the oil chamber, 63, on'the opposite side of the partition, 26, from the charm individual axes by their engagement with. V I the stationary gear, 26.

tate, however, the oil which floods the two' her, 58.

It will readily be seen that as the drum is rotated the pinions, 55, will be carried around with. the drum and rotated on their As the pinions rochambers,58 and 63, and fills the passageways about "the pinions will be pumped or forced by the gear teeth, 55, from one chamber into the other after the well-known man ner of gear pumps. Since both chambers are closed, the oil of course must be permitted to flow back from the chamber into I which it is pumped to the other chamber and ions and the inclosing hoods, 65, (see Fig.

If desired an auxiliary reservoir, 66, of the oil may be provided which is connected to a chamber, 63,'by means of a bore, 67, through the shaft, 23.

For the purpose of varying the rate of flow of the oil there is slidably mounted in an aperture, 27, in said wall a hollow cylindrical member, 28, which acts as a throttle valve to limit the passage of oil or other fluid from one chamber to the other. said valve may be constructed in the form of a hollow cylinder, 13, which may have apertures, 29, in the outer end wall, 37, and a specially designed slot or slots, 30 and 31, in the cylindrical wall, 13. The cylinder is mounted upon a rotatable shaft, 32, journaled within said gear, 22, but cylinder, 13, is prevented from rotating with said shaft by any suitable means such as an axially extending slot, 33, which cotiperates with a key or lug, 34, in the wall, 26, of gear, 22. One or both end walls, 36 or 37, may be threaded upon said shaft so that as the shaft is rotated the cylinder is moved axially in one direction or the other. The shaft is normally rotated and the throttle valve adjusted automatically as the boat is lowered, or in other words, whenever the drum, 14, rotates For this purpose a pinion, 40, is fixed to said shaft, 32, which meshes with a gear, 41, secured to rotate with the drum, 14, as by means of clutch teeth, 42.

Manual means are also provided whereby the valve may be independently adjusted at any position of the drum. For this purpose ahand-wheel, 44, is shown which is pro vided with clutch teeth, 45, adapted to eh- I The gage corresponding clutch teeth, 46, on a collar, 47 when pushed inwardly against the actionof spring, 48.. Collar, 47, is fixed to the sleeve, 49, which is loosely mounted on the reduced" extension, 50, of shaft, 23. Gear, 41, is also fixed to said sleeve as indi cated by the set screw, 51. Upon pushing in on the hand-wheel, 44, against collar, 47 it is seen that not only will the two be'locked together by the clutch teeth but the entire sleeve, 49, carrying withit the gear, 41, will be pushed inwardly against the action of spring, 52. This will disengage clutch teeth, 42, thus permitting shaft, 32, and cyl inder 13 to be rotated independentlyof the drum. As soon, however, as the hand-wheel is released the clutchteeth, 42, are thrown into mesh and the throttle valve adjusted automatically.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that by properly designing the slot, 30, a lifeboat may be lowered from p a steamer at a fairly rapid but uniform rate until'it arrives within a predetermined distance of the water when it'is slowed down to asafe speed for launching At'the same time the boatis at all times under the control of the operator since he may readily adjust the cylinder by means of the handwheel, 44. A one way by-pass valve 70 may.

be provided which need not be adjustable as the amount of fluid passingthrough'the said valve is dependent entirely upon the position of the throttlevalve.

Having described my invention, what, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-' ent is 1 In a launching device for lifeboats a drum adapted to receive a cable, a gear fluid pump connected therewithfor controlling the speed thereof, and variablemeans for .throttling the circulation of fluid through said pump res onsive to the extent of' the revolution of t e drum. I

2. In an elevating device, a drum adapt-' ed to receive a cable, braking means therefor, means responsive to the extent of revolution of the drum for varying the strength of said braking means and manual means also for varying the braking effect and operable through said first named means. Y

' 3. In a launching device. for lifeboats a drum adapted to receive a. cable, a gear fluid pump connected therewith,-and variable means controlled by the rotation of the drum for throttling the circulationof fluid throu h said pump.

4. variable brake for vices, comprising a plurality of'intermeshing gears, one of said gears being connected to'said device, av plurality of fluid containers, a passage-way leading froma container into the meshing teeth of two gears, a second passage-way leading from adjacent the opposite side and end of said meshelevating del ing teeth into anotherof said containers and I a valve connecting said containers which is actuated by said device to vary the resistance to the transfer of fluid.

5. A variable brake for elevating devices comprising a rotatable member, a plurality of fluid containers within said member, a pinion journaledin said member,"a stationary gear within said m'emberfmeshing with said pinion, a passageway leading from the container into the meshing teeth of said gears, a second passageway leading from the opposite side and end of said meshing teeth into the other of said containers, a return said pinion, a passageway leading from'the container into, the meshing teeth of said gears, a second passageway leading from the opposite side and end of said meshing teeth into the other of said containers,'a return passageway connecting s'aid containers operable by'rotation ofsaid member, and,

variable throttling means in one of said passageways operable by the revolution of said member. 7 a 1 7 The combination with a launching dewithin said member, a

vice for life boats including a rotatable hollow drum, of a speed controlling device therefor comprising a fluid brake connectedto and housed'within said drum and a variv I ablethrottling device for said brake also housed iwithin said drum. Y

8. In an elevating and lowering mecha- 40 nis'm, the combination with a hollow rota table member ,-"a stationary gear within said member, a partition dividing the space said member andv meshlng with said gear, themeshlng teeth of said gears forming one passageway between said spaces, a second passage between said spaces, and a valve: moved by the rotation of said member for controlling said second passage.

- 9. In an elevating and lowering mechanism, the combination @with a hollow rotatable member, a stationary gear within said member, a partition dividing the space within said member,a pinion journaled in said member and meshing with said gear,

inion journaledin f the meshing teeth of said gears formingone passageway between said spaces, a second passage between said spaces," a valve moved by the-rotation of said member for" controlling-saidsecondpassage, and manual means without the drum ,for adjusting said valve. v V s In testimony whereof I- have aflixedmy signature. 7

. -ERANK R. HOUSE. 

